Brannon Braga
| Place of birth = Bozeman, Montana, USA | Date of death = | Place of death = | Awards for Trek = 1 Emmy Award nomination 1 Hugo Award, 5 nominations 1 Saturn Award nomination 1 Universe Reader's Choice Award | Roles = Writer, producer (TNG, VOY, ENT, 2 films) | Characters = Nightclub patron (cameo) | image2 = Braga at helm.jpg | imagecap2 = ...posing on the bridge set during the production of TNG Season 4 | image3 = TNG writing staff, 1992.jpg | imagecap3 = Braga (2nd left) with (L-R) Ronald D. Moore, René Echevarria, and Naren Shankar, the 1992 TNG writing staff }} Brannon Braga was a writer, producer and creator, serving as such on the spin-off television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, as well as on the and . Braga was recognized for his work on the Star Trek franchise with nine award nominations, winning two of them. A twenty-five year old youth, Brannon Braga started working on Star Trek in 1990 as a writer/producer on The Next Generation, it being his first professional employment within the motion picture industry. As a writer/producer on The Next Generation, he was responsible for some popular episodes including the series finale . For this episode he won the Hugo Award for excellence in science fiction writing, along with Ronald D. Moore. Braga is a big fan of directors and and their way to create mysterious atmospheres. As a result he was very happy with the way the seventh season episode was brought up. (TNG Season 7 DVD-special feature, "Departmental Briefing Year Seven: Production") Braga also co-wrote the movies Generations (1994) and First Contact (1996). In all, he has written or co-written 106 Star Trek episodes, more than anyone else in the history of the franchise. For the sixth season episode , Braga wrote the lyrics for the Klingon aria with music composed by Jay Chattaway. Braga moved to Star Trek: Voyager as a producer, receiving a promotion to Co-Executive Producer in 1997 and a further promotion to Executive Producer in 1998 when Jeri Taylor retired. During his time on Star Trek: Voyager he entered into a relationship with Seven of Nine actress Jeri Ryan, which has since ended. After Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (the only spin-off television production Braga did not work on) finished its run, Braga immediately hired his Next Generation writing partner Ron D. Moore for Voyager, but Moore resigned shortly afterward citing creative differences with Braga and the other Voyager writers and criticizing the lack of emphasis on continuity. In 2000, Braga began work on Star Trek: Enterprise as the series' co-creator with Rick Berman (leaving Kenneth Biller to take over the production of Voyager), and had become Star Trek s "number two man" behind Berman. Unlike his former writing partner Ron Moore, Braga has never been a Star Trek: The Original Series fan, and it was for this reason that he had earlier turned the writing chore for the Next Generation homage episode , which was originally slated to be his, over to Moore, or as he himself had put it, "I knew I couldn't possibly write it. I didn't even know who Scotty was. This was a Ron Moore show." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 24, issue 3/4, p. 22) His admitted lack of understanding of original Star Trek lore however, backfired on his work on Enterprise, as he was held co-responsible for the dismal performance of the series in its first three seasons, due to the perceived violations in established continuity – which, as it turned out, even though Ron Moore resigned over it, had not been an issue of note for Voyager, due to that show's premise. Though remaining credited, both he and Berman were essentially relegated to the role of figureheads by the franchise at the end of the third season, their relinquished places de facto filled for the remaining season by Manny Coto and Mike Sussman, under whose tenure as show runners much of the perceived continuity violations was redressed, aided by writers such as Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, who, like them, had an equally thorough understanding of Star Trek lore. While the season as a whole was generally well received – though it did not save the series, as its cancellation had already been decided upon – both Berman and Braga yet again took firmly hold of the reins when it came to producing the last episode, , also turning out to be the very last of the entire television franchise. Intended to be "a valentine to all the Star Trek shows", as Braga had put it in 2007 , the well-meant intention was again met with intense criticism, again resulting in a violent backlash from production staffers and fans alike, causing Berman to admit years later, "I would have never done it if I had known how people were going to react." In 2013, Braga made the even more unusual, but equally magnanimous, gesture of prostration by openly apologizing for the episode to cast and crew of Enterprise, conceding that he and Berman had made a "narcissistic move" in trying to make the episode a "valentine" to Star Trek. He also called it "a crappy episode." (ENT Season 2 Blu-ray-special feature, "In Conversation: The First Crew") Braga and Berman had been rumored to have worked in the early stages on the 2009 movie, , but Braga has since made it clear that his days with the Star Trek franchise were over. His three main writing collaborators on the Star Trek franchise, in chronological order, were Ronald D. Moore, Joe Menosky, and Rick Berman, for the television properties The Next Generation, Voyager, and Enterprise respectively, while the first and the latter were his main writing collaborators for the movie properties Generations and First Contact. Career outside Star Trek Braga was born in Bozeman, Montana and during his stay on the Star Trek franchise has frequently slipped references to his place of birth into episodes and films he has written (see , Eli Hollander, Gallatin). He studied Theater Arts and Filmmaking at Kent State University and The University of California. He received the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Writing Internship in 1990. An atheist, he has suggested Star Trek as an "atheistic mythology."International Atheist Conference in Reykjavik Iceland June 24 & 25, 2006. Archive of speech at During his stay on the Star Trek franchise, Brannon Braga made one contribution to a non-''Star Trek'' production, when he co-wrote a first draft for the 2000 theatrical feature Mission: Impossible II, once again in collaboration with Ron D. Moore. After his tenure on the Star Trek franchise ended, Braga worked on various other television projects. In 2005, he was the executive producer of the CBS science fiction series Threshold (co-starring Brent Spiner), which was canceled after 13 episodes (from which only 9 was aired). Braga also wrote the first two episodes of the series. In 2009, Braga co-created the series , where he also served as executive producer and wrote the first two episodes. In 2012, he served as executive producer and writer on Terra Nova, a science fiction action series, reuniting him with René Echevarria and April Rossi. Both shows were canceled after one season, though FlashForward s episode "No More Good Days" netted him an additional 2010 Hugo Award nomination. From 2009-2010, Braga worked on FOX's hit series 24, as a writer and Executive Producer, working alongside former Enterprise writer/producer Manny Coto on several scripts. He is also credited for the television film 24: Redemption as co-executive producer. Braga's latest work is credited as Executive Producer and Director for the 2014 docu-series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, the successor to Carl Sagan's 1980 series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. http://www.fox.com/programming/shows/?sh=cosmos---a-spacetime-odyssey Writing credits * ** Season 4 - Staff Writer/Intern (26 episodes, uncredited) ** (teleplay with Thomas Perry, Jo Perry and Ronald D. Moore) ** (teleplay) ** Season 5 - Staff Writer/Intern (26 episodes, uncredited) ** (teleplay, story with Susan Sackett and Fred Bronson) ** (teleplay with Rene Balcer and Herbert J. Wright) ** ** (teleplay with Edith Swensen) ** Season 6 - Story Editor (26 episodes) ** ** (teleplay) ** (teleplay with Robert Hewitt Wolfe) ** (teleplay with Ronald D. Moore) ** ** ** ** (uncredited) ** ** ** (teleplay) ** (story) ** ** (story) ** (with Ronald D. Moore) * ** (teleplay) ** (teleplay with Skye Dent) ** (story) ** ** (teleplay, story with Joe Menosky) ** (with Jeri Taylor) ** ** ** (teleplay) ** (teleplay) ** ** ** (story with Joe Menosky) ** (with Joe Menosky) ** (with Joe Menosky) ** ** (story with Joe Menosky) ** (teleplay) ** (with Joe Menosky) ** (with Joe Menosky) ** (with Joe Menosky) ** (with Joe Menosky) ** (with Joe Menosky) ** ** (with Joe Menosky) ** (with Joe Menosky) ** (teleplay with Bryan Fuller and Joe Menosky, story) ** (teleplay with Joe Menosky, story with Rick Berman and Joe Menosky) ** (with Joe Menosky) ** (with Bryan Fuller and Joe Menosky) ** (teleplay with Joe Menosky, story with Rick Berman and Joe Menosky) ** (story with Eileen Connors and Joe Menosky) ** (with Joe Menosky) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (story) ** (story with Joe Menosky) ** (story) ** (teleplay with Joe Menosky, story with Rick Berman and Joe Menosky) ** (teleplay with Joe Menosky, story with Rick Berman and Joe Menosky) ** (with Michael Taylor and Joe Menosky) ** (story) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (teleplay with Robert Doherty and Raf Green) ** (teleplay with Joe Menosky) ** (teleplay with Joe Menosky, story with Mike Sussman and Joe Menosky) ** (teleplay with André Bormanis) ** (story) ** (story with Rick Berman and Kenneth Biller) * ** (with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman and Fred Dekker) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman and Chris Black) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman and Stephen Beck) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman and Fred Dekker) ** (with Rick Berman and Chris Black) ** (story with Rick Berman and André Bormanis) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman and Dan O'Shannon) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (teleplay with Rick Berman, story with Rick Berman and André Bormanis) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman) ** (story with Rick Berman and Manny Coto) ** (with Rick Berman) ** (with Rick Berman) *Films: ** (screenplay with Ronald D. Moore, story with Rick Berman and Ronald D. Moore) ** (screenplay with Ronald D. Moore, story with Rick Berman and Ronald D. Moore) Producing credits * Star Trek: The Next Generation ( - ) - Co-Producer * Star Trek: Voyager ( - ) - Producer * Star Trek: Voyager ( - ) - Supervising Producer * Star Trek: Voyager ( - ) - Co-Executive Producer * Star Trek: Voyager ( - ) - Executive Producer * Star Trek: Voyager ( - ) - Consulting Producer * Star Trek: Enterprise - Executive Producer Acting appearance File:Nightclub patron 3.jpg|Nightclub patron (uncredited) Star Trek interviews * TNG Season 4 DVD-special feature, "Chronicles from the Final Frontier", interviewed on * TNG Season 5 DVD-special feature, "Departmental Briefing Year Five" ( ), interviewed on * TNG Season 5 DVD-special feature, "Intergalactic Guest Stars" ("Crew Profile: Ensign Robin Lefler", "Profile: Captain Morgan Bateson"), interviewed on 15 November 2001 * TNG Season 6 DVD-special feature, "Bold New Directions Year Six", interviewed on 15 November 2001 * TNG Season 7 DVD-special feature, "Mission Overview Year Seven", interviewed on 15 November 2001 * TNG Season 7 DVD-special feature, "Departmental Briefing Year Seven: Production" ("New Director, New Challenges", "Creating Parallel Worlds"), interviewed on 15 November 2001 * TNG Season 7 DVD-special feature, "The Making of "All Good Things..." Year Seven" ("Writing The Final Episode"), interviewed on 15 November 2001 Star Trek awards For his work on Star Trek Braga received the following awards and nominations in the various writing categories. Emmy Award Braga received the following Emmy Award nomination in the category "Outstanding Drama Series": * for Star Trek: The Next Generation, shared with Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor, David Livingston, Peter Lauritson, Merri D. Howard, Wendy Neuss, and Ron D. Moore Hugo Awards Braga received the following Hugo Award and nominations in the category Best Dramatic Presentation * Hugo Award for the episode , shared with Winrich Kolbe and Ron D. Moore * 1995 Hugo Award nomination for , shared with David Carson, Rick Berman, and Ron D. Moore * Hugo Award nomination for , shared with Jonathan Frakes, Rick Berman, and Ron D. Moore * 1997 Hugo Award nomination for the episode , shared with Jonathan West, René Echevarria, Ira Steven Behr, Hans Beimler, and Robert Hewitt Wolfe * Hugo Award nomination for the episode , shared with David Straiton, and Rick Berman * 2003 Hugo Award nomination for the episode , shared with James Contner, Chris Black, Rick Berman, and Dan O'Shannon Saturn Award Braga received the following Saturn Award nomination in the category Best Writer * for the episode "All Good Things...", shared with Ron D. Moore Universe Reader's Choice Award Braga received the following Universe Reader's Choice Award in the category Best Writing for a Genre Motion Picture * for Star Trek Generations, shared with Ron D. Moore See also * Archive of Brannon Braga's AOL chats External links * * * [http://www.trekmovie.com/2007/08/12/vegascon-07-braga-reflects-on-a-life-with-trek/ Braga Reflects on Trek] on Trekmovie.com * 2013 two part interview with Brannon Braga at Trekcore.com References de:Brannon Braga es:Brannon Braga fr:Brannon Braga nl:Brannon Braga sv:Brannon Braga Category:Writers Category:Story editors Category:Producers Category:Performers Category:Film performers Category:Music department Category:Star Trek comic authors Category:Emmy Award nominees Category:Hugo Award nominees Category:Hugo Award winners Category:Saturn Award nominees Category:Universe Reader's Choice Award winners